smorgasbord for the soul
by pigwiz
Summary: You fed me, so I'm yours.


…smorgasbord for the soul…

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><p>"Nope Freddiemoney, you're buying today…" Sam said at the cashier's station of the buffet restaurant.<p>

Freddie looked at Sam for just a moment, shrugged and paid.

These lunches had been going on for a few years now. The difference today was Sam's insistence that Freddie pay… since they'd graduated High School Sam had insisted that they always go dutch. Today was different; Freddie really didn't mind so much, he didn't mind at all, really… it was just different.

After High School Freddie had gone on to college in Seattle. He didn't have to, he'd been accepted at a number of more prestigious bastions of higher education, but money had been an issue. Staying in Seattle made things much more comfortable, and much cheaper. He'd graduated with a Masters in computer science last June, but, like many others, couldn't find a job. He had settled for working nights stocking shelves at a big box home improvement store. At least he was able to afford to move out of his mother's apartment and into a tiny studio of his own.

Sam had gone to work as a checker in a 24 hour convenience store right after high school. Being a quick study, she was soon managing one, then two… within a couple years she owned three and was in negotiations to purchase another.

Carly ended up out of the picture completely. She had been accepted at UCLA. However, during the first semester she had run off with a biker named 'Slim' to parts unknown. She sent emails to her old friends once or twice a year from public computers, mostly at libraries, but that's all they ever got. Their replies had never been answered. Carly's cell phone had been cut off years ago.

Freddie and Sam's friendship had cost them both 'significant others' on occasion. But, they both took the loss with a grain of salt. They weren't anything to each other but friends, but, if the 'significant other' couldn't handle their friendship… it was the SO's loss. They hadn't done anything more than hug since their budding relationship was mutually called off in High School.

They did not date… they only went to lunch two or three times a month. That's it.

They had double dated… Sam with her friend and Freddie with his. In fact they had just done that again the previous weekend. Part of the conversation at lunch today was about their recent 'double'. 'A good time was had by all' had been concluded.

They finished their meal, chatted for a little while longer over coffee, and left. Out in the parking lot they gave each other a quick hug, turned and began heading for their cars when:

"Freddie, my phones dead… forgot to charge it… let me borrow yours for a minute." Sam said as she jogged up to him.

He handed her his phone.

She quickly sent a text message, thanked him, and gave him back his phone with a smile. She then turned and went back to her car.

Freddie drove back to his apartment. He wanted to get a bit more sleep before having to go to work tonight. At least it would be his weekend after this shift. He was going to stay in bed and catch up after tonight. He was normally tired on Fridays; it seemed even more so today. He looked at his bedside alarm clock. It was two in the afternoon. He set the alarm for nine, and nearly immediately fell asleep.

His shift started at eleven, he got to work a bit before. He stocked shelves, ate lunch and stocked some more. Finally, it was seven thirty the next morning… he was off for two days. He needed it, he was fried.

His drive home was inconsequential; he parked in his parking spot, locked his car and walked the short distance to his apartment. Unlocking the door, he stepped in, took of his jacket and hung it in the closet.

He walked over to his couch, sat down and took off his shoes… he chuckled to himself thinking of what his mother would say as he kicked his shoes under the coffee table instead of putting them away.

He stepped around the room divider / closet, while pulling off his t-shirt… then stopped.

There was a blonde head on his pillow. The head was obviously Sam's, the rest of her snuggled under his covers on the bed.

He was flummoxed. He had no idea what to think. After a moment or two he reached down and shook the outline of her foot under the blankets. She stirred slightly, rolled over, onto her back and smiled sleepily.

"Hey…" She said.

"Hi… ah… what are you doing?" He asked while pulling his t-shirt back down.

"Well, I was sleeping up to a second ago. What are you doing?" She replied.

"Umm… well, I… don't know. Wha… I mean, why are you here?" He stammered.

"Well, at the moment I'm waiting for you to bring me a cup of coffee. There is some made already. It's in a thermos on the kitchen counter. It's black, so put cream and sugar in mine; you know how I like it. You should get yourself a cup too…" Sam said while snuggled under the covers.

Freddie stood mute for a moment, and then shook his head before heading off to the kitchen and pouring her coffee into a cup. While mixing in the sugar and creamer he attempted to wrap his mind around this situation. She had always been a bit volatile with her boyfriends… Dale, her current friend, was a real nice guy though. They must have broken up… but why would she be here? She had never done this before. Normally she would tell him about the breakup the next time they had lunch. Her breakups had never seemed to bother her much.

He mused a bit more before getting himself a cup down from the cupboard, and then decided against having any coffee. Sam made coffee strong enough to wake the dead. He wanted to get some sleep…

He walked back to his bedroom, and stood at the side of his bed. "Here's your coffee." He said holding the cup out to her.

She sat up.

"Sa… SAM! WHAT THE… YOU DON'T HAVE A SHIRT ON!" Freddie yelled while turning around and facing the blank wall quickly.

"You didn't spill any of my coffee with your little acrobatics did you?" Sam opined.

"Sam!"

"Look, I don't have a stitch on… I'm naked, okay? Just hand me the coffee!" Sam said as she threw back the covers.

Freddie covered his eyes, turned around and held the coffee out in front of him.

"Jeez Benson… it's not like you haven't seen it all before, what's the big deal?" Sam said taking the coffee from his outstretched hand.

"I have '_never seen it all before'_, Sam… I've never seen any of '_it_'! What the hell!" Freddie said as he turned back around facing the wall, hands still covering his eyes.

"Well, yeah… that's right I guess. We never did get quite that far when we were kids. But I do remember you being pretty hands on… it's not like you haven't _felt_ it all before… okay, I'll cover up so I don't shake your poor prudish foundations." Sam said.

He heard the bed covers rustle, he turned around; "SAM!" He squeaked.

She was now laying completely uncovered, legs slightly spread with her hands behind her head, grinning. Freddie put his hands up over his eyes and rushed from the room.

"Oh… come back Freprudeula… I'm all covered up now." Sam called out while laughing.

"I'm getting some coffee, alright... just… just get under the covers or, better yet, put something on and come out here." He yelled back from the tiny kitchen.

"No can do… you have to come back here." He heard her yell. He got his coffee and then shyly stuck his head around the corner of the wall and peeked. She was indeed sitting up drinking her coffee but had tucked the covers around herself.

"What the hell Sam? What are you doing?" He said as he sat on the end of the bed.

"Well, I'm drinking coffee, of course. Good, you got some for yourself…" Sam replied nonchalantly.

"Alright… so… why are you in my bed, naked?" Freddie asked.

"Well, if you must know, although you're the smart one, you should have figured this out already, I was sleeping. Sleeping is best done in a bed. Yes, one may sleep anywhere, but it's much more comfy in a bed. I'm naked because I don't have any pajamas here. In fact I don't have any clothes here, except the clothes I took off… you wouldn't want me to sleep in clothes would you? And besides, you fed me…" Sam said.

"I fed you?" Freddie queried.

"Yep, you paid yesterday at lunch, you fed me…" Sam replied.

"Um… okay… so what does that have to do with anything?" Freddie asked.

"In many societies, feeding a single member of the opposite sex is a contract of marriage. You fed me, so I'm yours, nub." She said grinning.

Freddie looked at her for a moment, shook his head and started to laugh. After a bit, he patted the calf of her leg through the covers and said;

"Right… you haven't done any pranks for some time. This is a good one though, although kinda kinky and weird, still good. You got me." He grinned.

"…no pranking here… no funny business. I mean it." She replied with a tiny headshake.

He could tell she was serious.

"Why… I mean, Sam… I've got a girlfriend!" He stammered.

"Nope, ya don't. I fired her yesterday." Sam replied casually.

"Huh?" Was Freddie's confused rejoinder.

"I fired her, check your sent message file from yesterday… when I borrowed your phone." Sam said.

Freddie looked totally confused, stared at Sam for a moment, got up and fished his phone out of his pocket. Touching a few buttons, he read the message.

"Sam, what the fuck? How…" He began.

"Look, just listen… don't say a word. I saw how you were looking at me at lunch, and at dinner when we were all out, and you with your 'date'. I knew it was finally the right time. You know, time for us. You are out of school, you have a kind of job, but you'll do better soon enough… anyway, yeah. I hired her to date you. In fact, you haven't gone out with anyone that I haven't hired since high school." Sam said.

"What! I mean, how… why… Sam, I slept with a couple of those girls!" Freddie blustered.

"Well, no… you didn't." Sam smirked.

"I ought to know what…" He began again.

"Your first was Peg… right?" Sam stated more than asked.

He nodded apprehensively.

"Yeah well, you were really drunk, right?" She stated again.

"How did you…" He started.

"Because she got you drunk buddy… The next morning she told you how good you were… blah blah blah… yep, she was on my payroll. The next time was with Jo-Ann, huh. Same thing… she got you drunk and you woke up next to her. Yep, she was working for me also. Sorry buddy, I was just saving you for myself."

"But… you, I… huh?" He stammered.

"Oh, what about me? Oh yeah, lots of guy friends. Some of them I even kinda liked, but nope. Never had sex with 'em. You know, there is more than one way to skin a cat."

"What!" He said.

"Oh, c'mon… I mean I paid Nancy to give you a blow job… but that's not really sex… so said President Clinton anyway." Sam said.

"SAM!" He shrieked.

"Oh, get a grip… you're going too really like what I learned how to do…" She said smirking.

"But, but what about Dale?" Fred asked.

"Oh yeah… Dale… give me your phone." She said reaching for it.

She punched in the number. "Hi Dale, Sam here… were done… yep… later." She flipped the phone closed and handed it back to Freddie.

"Dale who?" She said grinning.

"I don't believe this…" Freddie mumbled.

"Well, believe it. Look, you didn't have time for me… or anyone else for that matter. So I hired a few gals to keep you company, and to keep any real competition away, okay? It's really no big… now, we're ready. So, what are you going to do about it? Do you want me or not?" She asked in all seriousness.

"I… I…" He said staring at the wall.

She shook her head, flipped off the covers and got out of bed. Standing in front of him, she held his chin up, and kissed him.

"Like what you see there, nub? Look, this is getting kinda embarrassing and chilly to boot. Yes or no…" Sam asked still standing in front of him.

"Yeah…" He nodded. "Yeah, I mean I just didn't think… yeah, I do… I do want you. I always have. I still love you, and… this is so strange…" He said glancing into her eyes, while glancing other places as well.

"Good, I love you too… now, strip and get into bed. The movers will be here at four this afternoon, and you'll need some sleep, maybe…" She said grinning while slipping back under the covers.

"Movers?" He asked, looking glazed.

"Yeah, movers… you're moving into my house. This place is too small. I broke your lease."

Still glazed, he stood, undressed and climbed into bed silently.

"Hey! You're the touchy feely one, Mr. Romance, right?"

He nodded.

"Well, start touching and feeling, buster!" She said.

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